Nigel Brown
Retail Manager - Sergios Menswear
Nigel has been working for Sergios Menswear for 30 Years and informed me they were originally called Mr Sergios. However, Nigel did start his career a little differently, undertaking a Fitness Industry Training course at Polytech on leaving school and some part-time modelling for Exposure Model Agency.
It was the modelling that piqued his interest in fashion and where he gained some insight into the fashion industry. Like many, he also did a stint in the hospitality sector as a barman and waiter in a restaurant but never saw either as his long-term working career.
Starting his role at Sergios Menswear in 1994 a week after his 21st birthday he said he has never looked back. Men’s fashion in New Zealand is a small world and he even worked with Karl Clausen in the early years.
We were interested to know his thoughts on whether fashion styling is something you learn or you just have a natural flare for. Nigel believes you do need to understand fashion and how to put things together but more importantly, you need understand what the clients want, which is all about listening and asking the right questions.
Nigel was also quick to point out that men often only shop when they need to, find shopping a chore and rarely come in just to browse. He sees it as his role to engage, provide advice on styling and turn the chore of shopping into something fun.
Nigel says men often get their fashion cues from seeing what other guys are wearing or what they may have seen in a magazine or TV and it’s his job to interpret that information and provide good advice on how they can achieve the best results.
Nigel believes it is hugely important to be aware of your clientele’s needs and provide the right advice. This is especially important as the client will get feedback on their purchases from people they know, and you want that feedback to be positive.
He also says New Zealand is at the tail end of new fashion trends due to the seasonal differences with the northern hemisphere but that said, he points out that men’s fashion trends are glacial or in other words, do not radically change from year to year. Most men prefer this, knowing that what they buy ‘today’, won’t be out of fashion ‘tomorrow’.
Nigel said guys often want to know why one shirt or garment is so much dearer than another. He said it comes down to many things, such as the uniqueness and quality of the fabric, along with the effort during design and manufacturing to ensure a great fit. The price of the garment is reflected in the quality and unique characteristics of the garment – you do get what you pay for.
Nigel enjoys his role because he has the answers and fully understands what fashion is and can offer the right solution for his customers’ needs. He said he carries the words his first manager at Mr Sergios David Gray used to always repeat… “Remember where you work.”
Wise words indeed.
Suited on The Terrace
Fashion and trends for the businessman straight from our Central City institutional style experts…
Karl Clausen - Creative Director from Working Style
Nigel Brown - Retail manager from Sergios Menswear
Frazer Bremford - Director from Crane Brothers
There is one thing all three of these fashion stylists have in common and that is they have been in the business for decades and have seen fashion trends come and go and understand how to assemble an outfit to suit your body and personality type.
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